New golf clubs

Definitely buy a driver with a 13 degree loft then. If you're going to slice, the ball won't got as far right if you have something with more loft. And even if you've tried the "slice proof" clubs, a club with a draw bias will help.

And I agree with what birdscribe said about hybrids. I have a Callaway 3H Heavenwood, and I can hit it 250 off the tee. Best club in my bag, and really helps me when I'm struggling.

 

I've purchased three clubs off of ebay. Two are great, and one (a seven wood) is what you speak of, just a little off. If I were in a pro shop and able to take a few swings, I would've passed. As it is, I'm not giving up on it, but it's not yet the trouble club I had hoped it would be.

 

Just rented that for my Xbox 360. The swinging mechanism's taking some getting used to. But the ESPN Radio updates on the 20s are pretty cool.

 

Might be your grip. Grab the club then turn your left hand to the right so you can see the back of your left hand. If you're wearing a glove, you should be able to see the logo on the glove. Then give it a rip.

 

The grip tends to be overlooked, but who knows what it could be? Could also be alignment, swinging inside-out, clearing his hips too soon. No way to know.

Moddy, I'll echo what the others have said about having clubs fitted. I didn't - my game is waaaay too messed up for the cure to be that simple - but when my stepfather played a little weekend golf, he bought some Ping Eye2 irons and had them fitted for lie angle. Tends to help when subject is maybe 5-foot-7.

I'd avoid ebay for golf clubs, anyway ... expendable's story helps reinforce that belief.

 

Moddy,

Like you, I have a hideous, horrible slice. Not sure it's incurable, but my muscle memory is to the point where I have to deal with it similarly. If the tee were a batter's box, I'd be lined up between the third baseman and shortstop.

As far as the clubs go, I'm wary of knockoffs. Especially for that amount of money. I'd look at a Play It Again sports or even the classifieds of your local paper(s) and see what's available there. I believe it's better to get slightly older and used brand name clubs than it is to get new knockoffs.

Also, whatever you get, make sure they fit well.

 

My best friend just bought new clubs -- I don't golf -- and he went to the big fancy store to shop for what he wanted. They let him hit all the clubs there,

Then he got on Ebay to buy his clubs. He was happy going that route.

 

I've had good luck, the one time I used it, buying a set of irons on eBay. I like my Cobra gravity back irons. Doesn't mean I play well, but I like them just the same.

 

There's nothing wrong with buying clubs on eBay, but as Junkie said, you have to know what you're looking for. If you go to a golf store and they tell you that you'd be best suited playing with Ping G5 black dot irons with Dynamic Gold 300 shafts, don't go on eBay and buy Ping G2 orange dots with ZZ Lite shafts because you can get a good deal on them and you think they'll be "close enough." They aren't the same clubs.

I used to play with a Titleist 983E driver with a 10.5 degree of loft and a Grafalloy Blue stiff shaft. I hit it really well, especially when I hit it straight. I could pretty regularly drive it 305-plus. But when clubs heads got bigger and a bit more forgiving, I decided I wanted to upgrade but stick with Titleist. I bought a 905S off eBay with a 9.5 loft and an extra-stiff shaft for $195 thinking I was getting a great deal.

Well, I sucked eggs with it. It was a bad club for me. When I hit it, it went a mile, but most of the time, I was hitting vicious snap hooks, or nasty pushes to the right. Had I demoed a club like that, I would have figured out that the shaft, the loft, the weight -- all of it was wrong for me. I put it back on eBay and solid it for $175, so it wasn't a major loss, but it was a good lesson learned.

 

This thread has made me realize how much I need a new set of clubs. I bought what amounts to a beginner's set of clubs 6 years ago and since then I have basically always shot between 85-95. I know I'm losing a ton of distance, though, with crappy clubs. Just buying a new Odyssey putter last year has dropped my 3-putts from around 5 to about 2 per round. Not to mention this year the only wedge I have is a pitching wedge because I lost my 56-degree wedge during my last round last year. I feel like getting comfortable with a new, solid set of clubs could get my game into the 78-82 range. Then again, the kid I play with most has a pedestrian set of irons and a 40 dollar driver and I witnessed him shoot a 67 last year.

 

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Hybrids feel like woods for us hackers; you get that solid kind of feel on your iron shots. Hit my Adams hybrid 4-iron about 180; 10 years ago, was hitting a normal 4-iron 160.

 

• Get fit. I know I'm not the first on this thread to suggest that, but it really does make a difference. And fitting covers everything from the angles of the clubhead to grip thickness. It will also help reign in any ego you may have, ensuring that your shaft has the proper flex.
• Buy new clubs for two reasons: 1. The fit may not be right and 2. Used clubs usually have some defects, most often a warped shaft.
• Invest in irons with deep cavities. For the money, you can't go wrong with either Mizuno or Cleveland.
• Another common theme – get a hybrid or several hybrids. Not only will these replace your long irons (which, being a high-handicapper, you should avoid, anyway) but they also are excellent chipping tools. Seriously, practice with these around the green and you'll be amazed. I recommend Nickent.
• Avoid drivers with a draw or fade bias. I learned the hard way that these just create more problems. The square drivers are pretty forgiving, but funky things happen when weight is being displaced. Unless you play very often and your swing is absolutely grooved for a fade or a draw and you want to reverse is slightly, then stay away. Otherwise that slice can become a nasty hook quickly and vice versa.
• Try out putters with alignment aids. I have a two-ball Odyssey blade that I wouldn't trade for anything. It takes a bit to get used to seeing the circles trail when you putt (acidheads would love it) but they really help with alignment and eventually you don't even notice. Like I said, I like my Odyssey, but Nike makes some really nice putters and you can't go wrong with anything by Bettinardi or Scott Cameron.